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Robert Woods appears to be slipping into the early 2nd round for Rookie drafts and was considered as one of the most NFL ready WRs in this year's draft class. Robert Wood's NFL draft stock seemed to cool off a touch after USC and Matt Barkley didn't live up to expectations, and with the emergence of Marqise Lee.

I do think that Woods could end up being a decent value for dynasty league players. Woods may not end up being a dominant, top 5 or top 10 dynasty WR - but he could provide a number of solid seasons as a fantasy # 2 WR and that would be reasonable to expect, right?

I do know that a significant amount of Woods value will be tied into the development of E.J. Manuel and weather will also be a factor playing in Buffalo in November and December, but I still think that he could be a solid acquisition for teams to acquire.

I am looking forward to the discussion and debate in the Shark Pool on this player.

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BuffaloBills.com believes second-round WR Robert Woods will have a "great opportunity" to immediately contribute from "multiple spots."

Per reporter Chris Brown, Woods ran "crisp routes" all offseason, turning in solid "all-around solid play." Woods is the prohibitive favorite to start opposite Stevie Johnson, who's expected to play more snaps in the slot this season. Woods will likely also see time in the slot, but should mostly be split out wide as the "Z" receiver. There's a lot of skill in Woods' 6-foot-0, 201-pound frame, but he's unlikely to be a major fantasy factor as the No. 3 offensive option at best in new coach Doug Marrone's run-based system.

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Not a freakish athlete and his landing spot was not ideal, but he has all of the qualities to be a really good NFL WR. Watching the combine, I thought his footwork, fluidity, and ball skills were exceptional. He reminds me a lot of the other Steve Smith.

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You guys know how I feel about Woods. A lot of you don't feel he has WR #1 upside, but I do. I think he has Marvin Harrison upside and at the very worst a good WR #2. I'm not sure how the QB situation will shake out in Buffalo, but it will be interesting to watch how everything unfolds this fall.

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USC has produced some legendary receivers, including Lynn Swann and Keyshawn Johnson.

But their recent run at the position hasn’t yielded much, at least not for the NFL’s tastes. Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett are among the disappointments.

So how will Robert Woods fare?

He’s not big (6 foot), he’s not fast (4.51 in the 40-yard dash), and he really doesn’t stand out in any measurable way.

But Woods was remarkably consistent for the Trojans, catching 250 passes for 2,933 yards and 32 receiving touchdowns in his three seasons. His most brilliant season was his second, when he hauled in 111 catches for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns.

“I think my experience,” Woods said at the NFL combine when asked what his strengths are. “I’ve been doing it for three years now. I’d say my knowledge of the game — I know every position — my route-running ability, and my hands.”

The latter is sometimes questioned. So is his ability to return kickoffs and punts, which he did at USC, given his average athleticism.

But Woods is a fearless and unselfish player, the type NFL coaches favor.

Asked who he would compare his game to, Woods mentioned Reggie Wayne.

“He’s smaller, one type of receiver,” Woods said. “He’s not like a Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald, but he’s making plays all around the field, and I can see myself similar to him.”

After his brilliant sophomore season, Woods’ production dipped last season but the Trojans struggled all around.

The preseason No. 1, USC finished 7-6 last season.

“We had a rough year,” Woods said. “We all kept thinking positive, after every loss. We still had faith in our team that we could still get to a bowl game and win every game.

“Our whole thing was, ‘OK, let’s just win the last four or the last three.’ Unfortunately, we lost them at the end, but we still had a positive outlook.”

Now Woods assumes the same optimistic approach to his NFL career.

“It’s really an honor to get paid and allowed to do something that I enjoy, that I love doing,” he said.

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You guys know how I feel about Woods. A lot of you don't feel he has WR #1 upside, but I do. I think he has Marvin Harrison upside and at the very worst a good WR #2. I'm not sure how the QB situation will shake out in Buffalo, but it will be interesting to watch how everything unfolds this fall.

I agree entirely. Not only is he very, very polished. But he's also in a very good location in terms of the talent ahead of him. He is almost walking into a starting job barring a major injury. The QB play may be poor, but I don't see the D being all that strong unless Mario Williams stops spending and starts practicing and producing, so lots of passing attempts which is FFB gold

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I like Woods but I do not see him ever being a WR1. The Bills are a bad team and so that may lead to a lot of targets for Woods as they will often be behind. However the QBs are suspect and the front office is not one I would put any faith in.

Nix broadcast to the world that they need a QB, when they had Fitzpatrick, who may not be a QB that can take a team to a championship, but is a better QB than any one else they have. Why? Because Nix gave him more money than he was worth and then only a year or 2 later has to cut him for paying him too much.

Nice job.

Then he lets the world know they are going to take a QB, which would have been fine, if it were a smoke screen. But it was no where close to a smoke screen. Nix might as well publish the Bills draft board prior to the event.

This is an unstable situation that for the most part I want to avoid. I do not see WR1 upside for Woods in this scenario so he is not worth a early draft spot but I do think he is worth a roster spot. I can see Woods being a WR2 at some point. He could be a useful player perhaps some time. I would not look for WR3 numbers until 2014. WR2 numbers in 2015 seems like the best case scenario for Woods.

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Nix broadcast to the world that they need a QB, when they had Fitzpatrick, who may not be a QB that can take a team to a championship, but is a better QB than any one else they have. Why? Because Nix gave him more money than he was worth and then only a year or 2 later has to cut him for paying him too much.

Nice job.

Then he lets the world know they are going to take a QB, which would have been fine, if it were a smoke screen. But it was no where close to a smoke screen. Nix might as well publish the Bills draft board prior to the event.

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I think he has Marvin Harrison upside and at the very worst a good WR #2.

What causes you think this? About the only positive I am seeing for Woods at this point is garbage time stats.

route running ability and overall football intelligence to go along with good hands. Also, even though he's not a burner, he's not slow either. His 2013 upside could be limited with bad QB play, but if that irons itself out he could be very good by 2014. In dynasty leagues you don't say a guy isn't worth an a 1st rd pick just because of situation, because that can change in a hurry. Of course you don't take him top 5 or anything like that because he can be had with great value late into the 1st round and into the 2nd.

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Nix broadcast to the world that they need a QB, when they had Fitzpatrick, who may not be a QB that can take a team to a championship, but is a better QB than any one else they have. Why? Because Nix gave him more money than he was worth and then only a year or 2 later has to cut him for paying him too much.

Nice job.

Then he lets the world know they are going to take a QB, which would have been fine, if it were a smoke screen. But it was no where close to a smoke screen. Nix might as well publish the Bills draft board prior to the event.

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I think he has Marvin Harrison upside and at the very worst a good WR #2.

What causes you think this? About the only positive I am seeing for Woods at this point is garbage time stats.

route running ability and overall football intelligence to go along with good hands. Also, even though he's not a burner, he's not slow either. His 2013 upside could be limited with bad QB play, but if that irons itself out he could be very good by 2014. In dynasty leagues you don't say a guy isn't worth an a 1st rd pick just because of situation, because that can change in a hurry. Of course you don't take him top 5 or anything like that because he can be had with great value late into the 1st round and into the 2nd.

Well I do not see Woods skill set being on a par with Marvin Harrison. That is why I asked why you see him that way? It is a pretty bold statement. If you just mean to say that he is sneaky good because of better than average technique and route running, that would be another matter. I have not really seen that from him but then again I have not spent a lot of time reading about Woods because there are several other WR from the most recent draft class that I like much more than Woods. If you want to make Marvin Harrison comparisons I would say Stedmon Bailey is much more likely to become a player like Harrison was than Woods, however none of these players were 1st round picks like Harrison was.

Speaking of marvelous he put up 3 WR2 like seasons at the beginning of his career, then went on to 8 straight seasons of over 1k yards and double digit TD. I think you are being a bit loose with your comparisons and I see no Peyton Manning in Buffalo right now.

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I think he has Marvin Harrison upside and at the very worst a good WR #2.

What causes you think this? About the only positive I am seeing for Woods at this point is garbage time stats.

route running ability and overall football intelligence to go along with good hands. Also, even though he's not a burner, he's not slow either. His 2013 upside could be limited with bad QB play, but if that irons itself out he could be very good by 2014. In dynasty leagues you don't say a guy isn't worth an a 1st rd pick just because of situation, because that can change in a hurry. Of course you don't take him top 5 or anything like that because he can be had with great value late into the 1st round and into the 2nd.

Well I do not see Woods skill set being on a par with Marvin Harrison. That is why I asked why you see him that way? It is a pretty bold statement. If you just mean to say that he is sneaky good because of better than average technique and route running, that would be another matter. I have not really seen that from him but then again I have not spent a lot of time reading about Woods because there are several other WR from the most recent draft class that I like much more than Woods. If you want to make Marvin Harrison comparisons I would say Stedmon Bailey is much more likely to become a player like Harrison was than Woods, however none of these players were 1st round picks like Harrison was.

Speaking of marvelous he put up 3 WR2 like seasons at the beginning of his career, then went on to 8 straight seasons of over 1k yards and double digit TD. I think you are being a bit loose with your comparisons and I see no Peyton Manning in Buffalo right now.

People seem to forget that Harrison ran a 4.38 in the 40. The guy had great speed to go alot with his route running. sure hands etc.

I like Woods a lot as well - but don't see Harrison upside, which is in essense saying Wood has "Hall of Fame upside".

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I think he has Marvin Harrison upside and at the very worst a good WR #2.

What causes you think this? About the only positive I am seeing for Woods at this point is garbage time stats.

route running ability and overall football intelligence to go along with good hands. Also, even though he's not a burner, he's not slow either. His 2013 upside could be limited with bad QB play, but if that irons itself out he could be very good by 2014. In dynasty leagues you don't say a guy isn't worth an a 1st rd pick just because of situation, because that can change in a hurry. Of course you don't take him top 5 or anything like that because he can be had with great value late into the 1st round and into the 2nd.

Well I do not see Woods skill set being on a par with Marvin Harrison. That is why I asked why you see him that way? It is a pretty bold statement. If you just mean to say that he is sneaky good because of better than average technique and route running, that would be another matter. I have not really seen that from him but then again I have not spent a lot of time reading about Woods because there are several other WR from the most recent draft class that I like much more than Woods. If you want to make Marvin Harrison comparisons I would say Stedmon Bailey is much more likely to become a player like Harrison was than Woods, however none of these players were 1st round picks like Harrison was.

Speaking of marvelous he put up 3 WR2 like seasons at the beginning of his career, then went on to 8 straight seasons of over 1k yards and double digit TD. I think you are being a bit loose with your comparisons and I see no Peyton Manning in Buffalo right now.

People seem to forget that Harrison ran a 4.38 in the 40. The guy had great speed to go alot with his route running. sure hands etc.

I like Woods a lot as well - but don't see Harrison upside, which is in essense saying Wood has "Hall of Fame upside".

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Isn't he similar to Hopkins on Houston, or am I missing something? I see Hopkins rated top 5 or so in a lot of rookie drafts, but Woods a good deal lower. Is the difference just a matter of opportunity or skill level?

It’s a question that has become more and more compelling as the NFL has tilted more and more to the passing game season after season. Over the past four years, pass attempts have steadily climbed. Last year (17,788) the spike was the largest in four seasons, with 378 more pass attempts than the 2011 season (17,410). It’s prompted NFL clubs to put a premium on receiver numbers for their 53-man roster. Introducing a new offensive system under Nathaniel Hackett this fall figures to alter Buffalo’s situation to some degree. How many receivers will the Bills offense need on their roster?

Without knowing exactly how Buffalo’s offense is going to operate, other than knowing it will be fast moving it’s hard to pin down the attack’s exact needs in terms of passing targets. With a greater proliferation of three receiver sets in the league however, it’s relatively safe to assume that there will be three wideouts on the field for the Bills close to two-thirds of the time.

Last season, under the previous coaching regime, Buffalo had three receivers or more on the field for almost 69 percent of their offensive plays (68.8%). What’s interesting is for their opening day roster the Bills last season carried just four receivers with QB/WR Brad Smith not counted toward that total in 2012. As the season wore on additions at receiver were made to the roster due mainly to injury.

While the receiving corps this year is largely unproven for the Bills, it is dripping with talent and potential.

“The thing that shocked me when I got here they were talking about how I had Stevie (Johnson) and who else,” said Kevin Kolb. “To me there’s a list of them including the two rookies that came in and have done a great job. I’ve been shocked at the talent level overall. I think that there are a lot of guys that are going to emerge this year in our offense.”

Kolb was referring to Buffalo’s two receivers taken in the second and third rounds of the draft this past spring in Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. With T.J. Graham coming off a strong spring, Brad Smith making a full-time move to receiver, a couple of practice squad receivers looking to make a jump and some quality undrafted talent the cupboard isn’t bare.

Predicting what Hackett’s offense demands in terms of position totals is not easy. Not only because his offense hasn’t been under the restrictions of a 53-man roster in college, but also because Hackett doesn’t think about only receivers when considering the needs of his passing game.

“I think when you look at the wide receivers it’s not just the wideouts,” Hackett told Buffalobills.com. “It’s a competition for everybody on the team. The question is who are the five best skill players that we have?”

“It’s my job to take those five best players and put those guys out there a whole bunch and be very multiple with that. If it’s a lot of wide receivers then you might have a lot of wide receivers. If it’s more tight ends, more running backs, whichever one dominates and does a better job out on the field that’s who we want out there.”

“I think it comes down to who excels in training camp,” he said. “So it could be a lot of wideouts. It could be more tight ends, more fullbacks, more halfbacks. We just want the best players out there so I think the (receiver numbers) will always kind of fluctuate.”

Knowing Buffalo has some accomplished and versatile backs when it comes to the passing game, it wouldn’t be surprising if the talents of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller afford the Bills the option of keeping fewer than six wide receivers.

“That’s the good thing,” said Hackett. “We have backs that have been split wide before. So it’s really just a competition amongst everybody, not just the guys in that receivers’ room.”

Despite that approach the offensive staff will still need to make decisions at the receiver position. Heading into camp it appears that the only wideouts with relatively secure futures in Buffalo for 2013 are Stevie Johnson, T.J. Graham, Robert Woods, and Marquise Goodwin. The rest of the receivers will battling against one another for what will likely be two roster spots at the most.

There’s a dependable veteran talent in Brad Smith, who made his share of plays in the spring. There are some good first-year player options in Kevin Elliott and Chris Hogan. The undrafted talent also has flashed with Da’Rick Rogers the most notable example.

That’s why Hackett fully comprehends the arduous task he and the offensive staff will be faced with when they sit with coach Marrone to make their final roster choices.

“It all comes down to who are the best five,” said Hackett. “I think that’s always going to be difficult. We’re lucky because we have a lot of guys there that are competing and competition brings the best out of everybody and that’s all you can ask.”

Rogers beat Brooks on a hitch pattern from E.J. Manuel. "He kind of stood there over a player, and that’s a 15-yard penalty," said Marrone. "That's not what being a pro is, and that's not playing like a Buffalo Bill. I told him, 'Is this going to be something we're going to have to be concerned about with handling any type of success from you?'" Rogers is on a zero-tolerance policy after falling out of the draft due to character concerns.

The Bills' official site notes it "was hard not to notice (Da'Rick) Rogers' exploits in the passing game" Monday.

Explosive plays from the first day of OTAs are usually meaningless, but Rogers is a UDFA worth watching with a microscope. A first-round talent in a weak receiving corps, he has a legit shot to pull off a big run up the depth chart. Rogers caught two long touchdowns, opening eyes among veteran teammates.

"Either you've learned your lesson and you've grown up and you're going to go forward and mature, or you haven't learned your lesson and you're going to be out on the street," Marrone said. "It's that simple. It's all on you, and you have to make the right decisions." The slightest slip-up and Rogers is going to get his walking papers. If he keeps his head on straight, Rogers has a legitimate shot to carve out a prominent offensive role as a rookie.

Many teams likely would have if not for Rogers' sordid off-the-field history. "The guy’s got tremendous talent," Nix said. "He’s made some bad decisions. It’s gotten him in trouble. ... But this guy’s talented. He can play. The ball’s in his court." Rogers is in great position to secure a roster spot, but can't afford even a minor off-the-field slip up. If he can convince the Bills he's matured, he could easily win the No. 2 or 3 receiver job.

Rogers is supremely talented and he blew up the NFL combine this year, finishing as a top performer in the vertical jump, the broad jump, the 3-cone drill, the 20 yard shuttle, and the 60 yard shuttle.

The NFL Draft arrives, and he goes undrafted, with teams passing on him with all 254 picks of this year's draft. I agree with EBF that he could be a top 15 dynasty WR on his talent level alone, but the risk is also very high that he will wash completely out of the NFL.

Hernandez had red flags on his character and slipped into the fourth round, with many teams saying that they had him completely off their draft board, so I can only imagine what NFL teams were able to dig up on Rogers.

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I think he has Marvin Harrison upside and at the very worst a good WR #2.

What causes you think this? About the only positive I am seeing for Woods at this point is garbage time stats.

route running ability and overall football intelligence to go along with good hands. Also, even though he's not a burner, he's not slow either. His 2013 upside could be limited with bad QB play, but if that irons itself out he could be very good by 2014. In dynasty leagues you don't say a guy isn't worth an a 1st rd pick just because of situation, because that can change in a hurry. Of course you don't take him top 5 or anything like that because he can be had with great value late into the 1st round and into the 2nd.

Well I do not see Woods skill set being on a par with Marvin Harrison. That is why I asked why you see him that way? It is a pretty bold statement. If you just mean to say that he is sneaky good because of better than average technique and route running, that would be another matter. I have not really seen that from him but then again I have not spent a lot of time reading about Woods because there are several other WR from the most recent draft class that I like much more than Woods. If you want to make Marvin Harrison comparisons I would say Stedmon Bailey is much more likely to become a player like Harrison was than Woods, however none of these players were 1st round picks like Harrison was.

Speaking of marvelous he put up 3 WR2 like seasons at the beginning of his career, then went on to 8 straight seasons of over 1k yards and double digit TD. I think you are being a bit loose with your comparisons and I see no Peyton Manning in Buffalo right now.

People seem to forget that Harrison ran a 4.38 in the 40. The guy had great speed to go alot with his route running. sure hands etc.

I like Woods a lot as well - but don't see Harrison upside, which is in essense saying Wood has "Hall of Fame upside".

Some people in this forum seem to think Woods is slow, but he isn't. He's very quick in and out of his breaks. By the way, having HOF upside isn't a stretch when Peyton Manning is tossing you the rock

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If I were to compare him to other receivers, it would probably be closer to Anquan Boldin than Marvin Harrison. Although I'd say Woods is faster than Boldin and probably runs better routes than Boldin did when Anquan was a rookie.

Even though his measurables aren't elite, I don't think that would prevent him from being a receiver that can put up 1,000 yards (not necessarily this season, but eventually). He's a smart receiver that can read defenses and he's extremely polished already. He also is learning more about route running from one of the best in the game in Stevie Johnson. He's never going to be a Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones, but he could certainly be a very productive receiver for a long time.

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I think he has Marvin Harrison upside and at the very worst a good WR #2.

What causes you think this? About the only positive I am seeing for Woods at this point is garbage time stats.

route running ability and overall football intelligence to go along with good hands. Also, even though he's not a burner, he's not slow either. His 2013 upside could be limited with bad QB play, but if that irons itself out he could be very good by 2014. In dynasty leagues you don't say a guy isn't worth an a 1st rd pick just because of situation, because that can change in a hurry. Of course you don't take him top 5 or anything like that because he can be had with great value late into the 1st round and into the 2nd.

Well I do not see Woods skill set being on a par with Marvin Harrison. That is why I asked why you see him that way? It is a pretty bold statement. If you just mean to say that he is sneaky good because of better than average technique and route running, that would be another matter. I have not really seen that from him but then again I have not spent a lot of time reading about Woods because there are several other WR from the most recent draft class that I like much more than Woods. If you want to make Marvin Harrison comparisons I would say Stedmon Bailey is much more likely to become a player like Harrison was than Woods, however none of these players were 1st round picks like Harrison was.

Speaking of marvelous he put up 3 WR2 like seasons at the beginning of his career, then went on to 8 straight seasons of over 1k yards and double digit TD. I think you are being a bit loose with your comparisons and I see no Peyton Manning in Buffalo right now.

People seem to forget that Harrison ran a 4.38 in the 40. The guy had great speed to go alot with his route running. sure hands etc.

I like Woods a lot as well - but don't see Harrison upside, which is in essense saying Wood has "Hall of Fame upside".

Some people in this forum seem to think Woods is slow, but he isn't. He's very quick in and out of his breaks. By the way, having HOF upside isn't a stretch when Peyton Manning is tossing you the rock

I said, I like Woods and I'm not saying he's slow - just that Harrison had elite level speed (which seems to get forgotten). Did Harrison benefit from having Manning? Sure, but he also had elite level talent.

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Yeah, I still remember the play where I realized Harrison truly was a great receiver. He absolutely blew by Deion Sanders for a TD. Granted, Deion was no longer at his peak, but you still never saw him get torched like that.

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"Stud. I mean, legitimately a stud," said Kolb. "I've bragged on him a lot in the last two days and really through camp. I mean, what I see from him, I've been with some really good rookie receivers. I mean some really good ones. The kid can run better than I think everybody gives him credit for." Woods has a firm grip on "Z" receiver duties, but he won't be a huge fantasy factor in year one.

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If it was a better QB than Kolb saying that about Woods, I might get more excited. But its Kevin Kolb for pete's sake....

I thought the EXACT same thing. I mean, even if that is true, Kolb still has to get him the ball and he couldn't do that to Fitz. I love the kids talent, but this guy is strictly long term. He is stashed in my dynasty league and staying there as I see him emerging when they have a QB to get him the ball. A rook or Kolb are do not bode well for his numbers in 2013, but beyond I can see this guy being a stud!

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If it was a better QB than Kolb saying that about Woods, I might get more excited. But its Kevin Kolb for pete's sake....

I thought the EXACT same thing. I mean, even if that is true, Kolb still has to get him the ball and he couldn't do that to Fitz. I love the kids talent, but this guy is strictly long term. He is stashed in my dynasty league and staying there as I see him emerging when they have a QB to get him the ball. A rook or Kolb are do not bode well for his numbers in 2013, but beyond I can see this guy being a stud!

I'm not a huge Kevin Kolb fan, but he was having a pretty decent season last year before he got blown up by the terrible Arizona o-line. I believ Arizona was 4-1 at that time.

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Second-round pick Robert Woods is expected to open the season as the Bills' No. 2 receiver.

T.J. Graham will be the No. 3, entering in three-wide packages when Stevie Johnson kicks inside to the slot. Woods will be the Z receiver, or flanker, playing on the strong side of the formation. Due to a rookie quarterback and Doug Marrone's run-heavy design, Woods' ceiling rests at WR4 in re-draft leagues.

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Do you think it's time to sell Stevie? Maybe hope for 1 more big game and then get rid of him? I don't want to be too quick to overreact considering Woods hasn't really done much up until this week and Stevie's been on a tear. Maybe it was the Ravens gameplan to completely shut down Stevie? Either way, it's clear this guy is on the rise and whether or not he overtakes Stevie as the #1, he definitely has earned the respect of his qb and coaching staff. He's a definite buy in dynasty, just not sure how this season will play out.

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Picked him up due to byes and from what I see, Woods is a crisp route runner and tends to get open a lot. EJ seems to be fixed on him and due to Johnson's injury Woods will be the guy because who on this team does he really have to compete with for targets at the receiver position?